World Development Report 2014: Risk and Opportunity

The path of economic development is paved with risks and opportunities. On the one hand, facing risk is a difficult challenge; on the other, the opportunity for growth and welfare improvement may never materialize without confronting and even taking risks. This is true for individuals, families, enterprises, and nations.

The World Development Report (WDR) 2014 examines how improving risk management can lead to larger gains in development and poverty reduction. It will argue that improving risk management is crucial to reduce the negative impacts of shocks and hazards, but also to enable people to pursue new opportunities for growth and prosperity. Risk management is also a shared responsibility that requires the active participation of different economic and social systems, as well as the State.